[INTERVIEW] Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney Talk Critics and Movie Theaters

The actor and the filmmaker speak to the modern industry in this interview promoting their film 'Twinless'. [5/4/2025]

Twinless writer/director/actor James Sweeney (left) and actor Dylan O’Brien (right)

AnthonyReviews was given the opportunity to do a press line interview with co-leads Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner, Teen Wolf) and James Sweeney (Straight Up) for their movie Twinless at the Chicago Critics Film Festival. The dark comedy follows two men who meet at a support group for twins who have lost their pair. I used the opportunity to ask them about their opinions on the place they were standing in front of: a critic-infested movie theater. [Interview conducted 5/3/2025].

Anthony: So we’re here at the Chicago Critics Film Festival, but we’ve kind of seen that film critics are a dying breed. A lot of critics like myself are concerned about the state of the industry. What do you think about film criticism and how it relates to you as artists and you as audience members…?

Dylan O’Brien: Well, we make them as well, so I think… I heard you say critic a lot, critic, critic, critic. We come from a more empathetic place of viewing things. You know it's not easy to make things. Also, I'm not up to date on realizing what a dying breed this situation is.

James Sweeney: Well, journalism in general, yeah.

DO: Yes, yes. But I guess for us in terms of seeing peers’ films and things like that you know giving each other feedback that’s like a very common thing we do for each other. You know it’s not easy to get stuff made and it’s not easy to make stuff. Every one of these things that comes out remotely watchable is like a mini miracle, you know what I mean? And that’s the medium. That’s the art of it. There’s a lot of appreciation for that that I always come from at least. And I know that James does in spades.

JS: Yeah, I mean it kind of goes in tandem with democratization of filmmaking in general. Lowering the barrier. Everyone has access to the internet and can put their reviews online, whether or not they’re warranted [laughs].

DO: Right right right.

JS: So I have so much respect for the professional critic… When you’ve really studied the history of filmmaking that informs you more than someone who has a hot take and posts five words on Twitter.

DO: Letterboxd.

JS: [chuckles] Yeah.

A: We all love Letterboxd. Twinless, of course, is an off-kilter dark comedy. More and more we are seeing a younger generation stay home for that genre with comedies becoming less and less produced as big theater experiences. What can we expect from Twinless that will offer us a reason to get out and go to the theater?

JS: I think what we saw at Sundance we’ll see here in a different environment. That people were really engaged and kind of went on a full spectrum of an emotional journey. That's my favorite thing: to go see a movie in a theater. It's a communal experience so I feel like this film will hopefully offer that and will give the motivation for people to experience the shifts.

DO: Yeah we live in such an age of knowing so much about these movies before we go see them, or watch them on our couch, or our computer or our phone. Listen, we understand the time we’re living in but we want to do everything as much as possible to preserve the ride because that is so much of what the experience of this movie is.

And it was so cool for us to see that firsthand at Sundance. We were so close to it and knew it so well by then. But at that point too -when it took us so long to get this film made- you’re spending some amount of time wondering if we’re just, like, crazy. We’re obsessed with this but is anyone going to respond to this? So to see the audience really really go on that ride was so encouraging and exciting and what it’s all about.

I love to be in that position too. I love going to the cinema to see films and to see it with a group of people… it always inspires how you take something in.

JS: And I think it kind of imprints the memory in a deeper way as well.

DO: Yeah totally.

Twinless will be releasing in theaters on September 5th (and I will probably be seeing it a second time).